CAMP GEN. PANTALEON GARCIA, Imus City -- Cavite police provincial office has turned over a total of 597 firearms to the Police Regional Office (PRO4A)-Calabarzon headquarters for safekeeping as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban is being enforced for the May 14 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Cavite police provincial director Senior Supt. William M. Segun disclosed Thursday that the firearms were presented to PRO4A Regional Director Chief Supt. Guillermo T. Eleazar during the latter’s camp and command visits here Tuesday.
Segun said that of the total number of firearms, 573 have been voluntarily surrendered by licensed owners and poll bets, including the 33 village chiefs from General Trias City, while 24 other assorted firearms were seized during police operations.
He has ordered all Cavite chiefs of police of the province’s 16 towns and seven cities to convince the incumbent barangay chiefs and councilors and all local candidates within their area of responsibility (AOR) to surrender their personal or issued firearms for safekeeping during election period.
He also said that the Cavite law enforcers are strictly enforcing the gun ban which took effect April 14 until May 21 and the implementation of the liquor ban from 12 midnight of May 13 until midnight on May 14.
According to the Cavite provincial police director, they are continuously conducting various police operations and security preparations for Monday’s (May 14) synchronized barangay and SK elections in line with the PNP’s mandate of ensuring the conduct of secure, safe, and fair elections.
He said they are also intensifying their campaigns such as Oplan Sita/StreetHawk, Oplan Katok, Oplan Bakal, and checkpoint operations in strategic areas which will be sustained as part of the PNP’s anti-criminality campaign.
Segun said the heightened operations are conducted because of their effectiveness in preempting illegal activities and taking away instruments of crime and violence as they also keep watch on the eight areas in the province that are declared as election watchlist areas, or hotspots. (Dennis Abrina/PNA)
